Part 9 (1/2)

”Well I guess I will see you next week then.” I said while getting in my bronco and he watched me like a wolf would a piece of meat. I giggled nervously before driving off. On the way there I thought about how glad I was that Draven hadn't still been there when Justin had turned up. He didn't like Jack because he felt something for me but at least he behaved himself! Justin was just a big flirt and would do it in front of anyone, including Draven. Oh yes, it was definitely better that Draven didn't know about Justin. Then it hit me, Ragnar had probably seen the whole thing! Oh no! I couldn't see him which suggested I might have got away with it but something told me this wasn't a likely outcome. Oh well, it was only a hug.

I got to the diner and checked the clock on the dash. I was only ten minutes late after some luck with traffic lights and a heavy foot on the gas pedal. Jack was already inside and I waved as I pa.s.sed the window. He had already secured a booth next to the window and soon the b.u.t.terflies in my stomach turned to wasps! I was dreading this but I knew it was the right thing to do. Of course it didn't help that he was grinning at the very sight of me. It was going to be like dumping puppies.

He was wearing his usual ripped jeans and today's choice in T s.h.i.+rt was a faded Rolling Stones' but the lips had cracked from years of was.h.i.+ng. His hair was the same wild bronze with lighter bits at the front and it flopped around in every direction. His soft features and gorgeous honey eyes lit up as I came nearer.

”Here she is,” he said getting up and hugging me. I didn't tense up as I had done with Justin. I don't know what it was about Jack but he was one of those guys that put you instantly at ease. He was tall and had a toned build because he spent a lot of hours hiking. We sat back down and I couldn't help but smile at the sight of him. Then it faded as I realised that this might be the last time we were like this. That he might not want to be friends any longer. My heart sank.

”Hey Jack, I'm so, so sorry.” I blurted out and he looked shocked. I guess I just had needed to say it now for a long time, that it was the first thing I wanted out of my lips. At least I had said it even if it was the last time he wanted to talk to me.

”What for?” He was making this even harder, especially when he wouldn't stop smiling at me like I was b.l.o.o.d.y wonderful.

”For everything! I have treated you all wrong, I should never have done that to such a good friend and then I gave you that letter and then I didn't call...” I was fumbling out my words like they were hot mouthfuls I had to get rid of.

”Keira stop! You don't have to explain or apologise for anything. I am a big boy and knew what I was getting into.” Oh G.o.d, this just made me feel even worse!

”What do you mean getting into?” I asked feeling ashamed.

”Keira, I couldn't help the way I felt for you and I guess I still can't but I have known for some time that you didn't feel the same. That still didn't stop me though. I could tell that first night when you saw him that he was the only one you had feelings for.... but Keira that doesn't mean I blame you and I certainly don't want to stop being your friend.” I had tears welling up and I hid my face behind my menu for a moment.

”I don't deserve such a good friend.” I said looking down and reading nothing on the plastic in my hands. He pulled the menu from me and held my hands in his.

”Keira, I am lucky to have you as a friend. I won't lie and say I am happy that you and Dominic Draven are together but I am glad that you are with someone who obviously cares a great deal for you/” This made me look up at him and his eyes showed such sincerity.

”How do you know that?”

”Keira, when you disappeared he had everyone in the club spoken to. The band stopped and the lights on full. I saw the desperation in his face when I handed him the letter you wrote. I was very surprised when he thanked me and even shook my hand.” He said, looking at the same hand as if seeing the memory on it.

”However, I wasn't surprised that he chose you. He is lucky to have you.” This made me blush again as I wasn't great at receiving compliments, especially when I didn't think they were justified by my appalling behaviour.

”Keira, will you tell me something if I ask?” I knew this was coming and I told myself earlier that if he asked I would trust him. He deserved that much from me...he deserved the truth. I nodded knowing this wasn't going to be an easy conversation to have.

”What happened to you that night?” His voice was soft and soothing. I knew this was him trying to make it easier for me. Then the waitress came over to us, giving me little more time to think about how I was going to start. But the more I thought about it, the more I knew I had no other choice than to start at the gruelling beginning. Jack ordered two sodas and I looked outside to find my watch dog on guard. I was about to wave but stopped myself before I looked nuts. After all no one else could see him and this was proven when a couple walked past him and came into the diner. And trust me when I say this was not a man you would just have walked past without a mouth dropping moment!

I waited until the c.o.kes came and the snotty waitress went back to refilling her salt pots. Bless Jack because he just sat patiently and waited for me to find the courage to start.

”Well there really is no other way to put it, so here goes....I was kidnapped.” I said but he looked like he was going to choke on the ice cube he'd been sucking on.

”Jack, are you ok?” I said handing him my napkin so he could dispose of the cube.

”I'm sorry can you just run that through me again please....you say you were....kidnapped?” He whispered that last word like it was a sinful one.

”Look, I think I need to explain my past before I explain that night. The thing is Jack, this is the most private thing I could tell anyone. I have been running from it for two years now and only my family knows the truth. It's the reason I came here and it's the reason I have.... lied.” I said this expecting more of a reaction but no, so far so good.

”What kind of lies?” He said in a non judging tone.

”First, my real name is Catherine Keira Williams not Johnson and I am really twenty three not twenty one like everyone thinks.” I let this sink in before carrying on. His face tried to remain unmoved but I could see the shock in his eyes. Whatever he had expected, it hadn't been this. I continued to tell him about how and when I first met Morgan and what the result of that was. I tried to miss out the details but Jack wanted to know, as many would. I answered his questions and saw how difficult it was for him to hear. He tensed his fists and gripped the table making it shake. He even ground his teeth whenever I got to a more disturbing part.

Once I had finished I told him the second half but had to change it slightly to leave out all the supernatural stuff. I explained how he had tricked me into meeting him and luckily Draven found where he was keeping me before he could really hurt me. When I had finished, he lent back against the leather backed booth and stared at his hands for a while before speaking. He then raised his eyes and I saw pure hate there for the very first time and it scared me when he said, ”I hope Draven killed him!” This was so out of character that I shuddered. What could I say, yes he did, he stabbed him in the heart once but then he came back and killed himself! Nope I couldn't go with that. When he saw me struggle for an answer he made it easy for me.

”You don't need to tell me Keira, I think I can gather for myself and with a man like Draven I can't imagine it was a good way to go but for this, I would agree with him. This Morgan clearly needed to meet his end.” He said bitterly at the thought of me in the clutches of that mad man. He looked down at my gloves that were under my sleeves and shook his head at what they must be hiding.

”I don't think I have met anyone as brave as you. But I have to tell you, I never thought you tried to kill yourself. I always thought it must have been some kind of accident.” This touched me more than he could ever know. I had not yet met anyone that thought this way. Everyone had thought I tried to commit suicide, even my family had thought that I had tried to end it all but they had all been wrong. I just could never bring myself to tell them that they might have been next in Morgan's deluded, warped mind! I took his hand in mine and kissed it.

”Thank you. You don't know what it means to me, to hear you say that. You are the first to have given me the benefit of the doubt. Everyone else just a.s.sumes...well you know.” I said looking down at my arms and I automatically pulled down on the material.

”I really appreciate you confiding in me and I will not say a word but I guess you knew I wouldn't, otherwise you wouldn't have told me.” I looked up to meet his face that had once again changed back to his usual happy self and he winked at me making me laugh. He really was one of the best friends I had ever had!

”I don't deserve such a good friend” I said as I playfully flicked him with the end of my straw.

”Well what can I say, I will just have to charge you later on, when your rich boyfriend opens you a bank account!” He said laughing and I faked being hurt and flicked even more c.o.ke on him. We both giggled liked naughty kids and we got some evil looks from the other customers.

”Now pack that in!” I said before he could throw an ice cube my way. Jack got up and went to the rest room and as I followed his tall frame walk away, I noticed a pair of eyes watching me...purple eyes!

Oh great! Draven had been watching my entire 'date' as he called it! I now swallowed hard knowing that I was going to be in for it later. I shook my head at him but the middle aged trucker he was using just mouthed the word ”No” at me while shaking his finger at me. When Jack got back, I decided to try and ignore him and I carried on with Jack as if I hadn't noticed. Well I was going to get an ear bas.h.i.+ng anyway so I might as well have a fun afternoon before Draven got hold of me.

”So Jack, it's my turn to ask something of a sensitive nature.” He curved up one side of his mouth like he had been waiting for me to ask.

”You want to know about Celina don't you?” He said looking at me over his now refilled c.o.ke gla.s.s.

”Well yeah,” I said shamefully feeling like a gossip.

”It's fine, well I mean, it freaked the c.r.a.p out of me when I saw her there but now I guess I can finally move on. But I won't lie....it hit me hard.” I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. All this time he had thought Draven had stole his girlfriend away two years ago, he had even semi believed that he might have killed her. Celina was Draven's a.s.sistant and had made me believe his fiancee at one point but this had been a lie to keep me from feeling for him. Of course it hadn't worked but it still hurt like h.e.l.l! Celina of course was a Demon and had started a relations.h.i.+p with Jack years earlier. This is one of the biggest crimes a Demon or Angel can commit. So when Draven saw her in his club with Jack he put a stop to it. But instead of punis.h.i.+ng her, he allowed her to stay in this plane and work for him. Jack, of course, didn't know this and still doesn't, so I was curious to what she told him that night he saw her up in the VIP area.

”She explained that she was actually engaged.” My heart stopped for a moment but started again when he continued.

”She thought the guy had been unfaithful but it was a misunderstanding. She ran away to her aunt's house and no one knew where she was to explain the truth. He works for Draven, apparently, so when he saw her that night at the club he took the opportunity to tell her what really happened. She didn't go into it and he wasn't there that night but when he works for Draven, she tags along.” This story had been well thought out but I gathered for a Demon, lying wasn't a hard job to master and if it didn't work, they could just control their mind so they would believe what they were told. Which had me wondering if the reason he seemed to be taking this so well, wasn't actually down to some mind manipulation? Whatever the reasons I was just glad he didn't seemed to be hurting about it.

”I know what you're thinking, why not just tell me that...right?” He said and just nodded as I was pretty sure he wouldn't want to know what I was actually thinking!

”Well she told me that her fiancee is a bit of the possessive type and she didn't want him finding out about me because she didn't want him to do me any harm. But when I helped Draven by giving him that letter, he agreed that he would not discuss our meeting again” I was lost for words and knowing the truth about this wasn't making it any easier to pretend I didn't.

”So how do you feel now?”

”I guess I'm fine, now I know.” Ok, I think he must definitely have received a little Demon therapy from the red headed beauty Celina.

”Well I'm glad something good came out of that night. Thank you for giving Draven that letter, you helped save my life.” I said sincerely.

”I just wished I'd had the guts to do it sooner but no offence, your boyfriend is one scary a.r.s.e dude!” I smirked and looked sideways to the trucker which Draven was still using to listen in and I saw him grinning at this statement. He obviously liked the idea Jack was scared enough of Draven, to not pursue me romantically. Then I laughed as the waitress eyed him warily so he went back to sipping his coffee. Thankfully Jack thought I had laughed at his last comment so I said, ”Yeah, he can be intimidating at times but he means well and he was extremely grateful for what you did.” I said a bit louder than I needed to and the trucker snorted making the people next to him jump at the sudden outburst. Jack raised his eyes in disbelief.

”No really,” I said again.

”Well, no offence Keira but he was the last person I did it for.” Ok I was walking on thin ice now, as I half expected the trucker to get up and throttle him because he swivelled in his stool and stared at us both with purple tinted fury. I frowned at him giving him my sternest stare trying to will him to back down. Jack was turning to see who I was glaring at and I waited for disaster. My harsh eyes were replaced by ones of dread and pleading. But just in time, Jack was faced with more of a creepy smile and it came across as more of a gay admire, than the hate it had been. Jack sort of smiled back but quickly turned away, being clearly freaked out.

”What was all that about?” He whispered behind his hand.

”Beats me!” I said trying not to laugh at the memory of this big fat trucker smiling like a little girl dressed in her best, smiling at a boy she fancies! Well if Draven wanted to play games then he definitely won with this move.